My little girl
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: After "All hail King Malcolm." Warning: total fluff. Seven fluffy bits in the life of Belle Reynolds. They form a loose story. Another in my winding down series. Probably my second to last one. R&R Plz
1. Belle's Lullaby

_**Belle's Lullaby**_

River settled comfortably in between Mal's chest and arms. He was already asleep and she was close to it. It had been a rough day between their job, Zoe's head injury, and the two very loud children. Zoe was alright and asleep in the infirmary. Jayne was kind enough to stay with her so Simon could go to bed.

Belle's loud cry made them both jerk awake. River sighed and went to go pick her up out of her crib, but Mal insisted that she should stay in bed.

"I got this one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I haven't spent time with her at all today." He carefully picked her up and balanced her against his shoulder while rubbing her back soothingly. "What's got you cryin' this time, princess?"

It was the third time she had woken up. This time it wasn't a diaper change and she had just been fed twenty minutes ago.

"Maybehaps a nice walk will calm her down. Get some sleep, sweetheart."

River nodded gratefully and shut her eyes.

Mal climbed their ladder while holding Belle securely. He started with a walk around the ship. She was still crying, but it had quieted down some. He sat with her in Kaylee's hammock for a bit.

"Hear that? That's the engine. Serenity's heart. It keeps us flyin'. That and Mommy," he told her with a grin. She calmed down a bit between his voice and the rhythmic pounding and humming of Serenity.

"How's about we go see the stars?"

He took her to the bridge where he sat down in the pilot's chair with her in his arms.

"That constellation there is Lachesis. It revolves 'round Clotho and Atropos. The stars make three women all connected by thread like in the myth. Back on Shadow, they used to look like they were spinnin' durin' the summer."

"I remember when you first told me that," River smiled as she came into view.

"I thought I told you to get some sleep. Belle, didn't I tell Mommy to get some sleep?"

She seemed to kick in response.

"I missed you two."

He grinned and passed Belle to her. She climbed back onto his lap with their daughter in her arms. Mal sighed contentedly.

"Remember how we used to spend some nights up here together before we got together right when I was first becoming the pilot?" River asked thinking back fondly.

"Of course I do. We'd talk 'bout the stars and the 'verse…"

"You taught me every constellation and myth including the full history of when it was discovered."

"I don't have to be a reader to figure that you're lyin'. I know that you already knew them all."

"Alright, I did. Still, I wouldn't trade those nights for anything. You liked them too."

"How do you know?"

"After you taught me them all, you'd still come up here and _re-teach _me."

"Why'd we stop that anyhow?"

"A terrible need for sleep."

"Well when we got together, it wasn't like we were gettin' much sleep anyway."

"Mal! Not in front of your daughter!"

"What?"

"Don't listen to him, Belle. He has a nasty mind."

"You want nasty?"

He whipped up the most erotic image he could. River turned red and elbowed him playfully.

"There ain't any chance Belle is a reader, is there?" he asked realizing what he might have sent his daughter.

"No. I wasn't born a reader."

Mal breathed a sigh of relief.

"Serves you right."

Belle started to cry again. River gently rocked her.

"Start talking. She likes the sound of your voice like I do."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned his head against hers while trying to think of something to talk about.

"It doesn't matter. Just talk…or…" she smiled mischievously. "Sing."

"Sing?"

"A lullaby."

"I don't know any."

"Sing whatever you _do_ know. I'm sure it'll be enough."

"You know I don't like to sing."

"You sing to me sometimes when I have a nightmare."

"Yeah, but…"

"I love your voice, she loves your voice. We're alone, she's crying. I think it will help. Please, _baby_?"

He huffed, already folding. If Belle inherited her mother's charm, he'd be done for. And after looking down at her, he knew that she did.

"Okay…" he groaned. River beamed. He thought about something to sing.

"Gotta hold on easy as I let you go. Gonna tell you how much I love you, though I think you already know. I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink soft and warm. You've had me wrapped around my finger since the day you were born. You're a beautiful baby from the outside in. Chase your dreams but always know the road that will lead you home again. Go on, take this whole world. But to me you'll always be my little girl."

Belle stopped crying midway through and fell asleep towards the end.

"Told you," River whispered. "You have a lovely voice."

"Thank you, darlin'."

"Great song by the way. Angel seems to fit her."

"It does. She's still my princess, though."

"She's already got you wrapped around her little finger."

"She's _your_ daughter alright."

River chuckled quietly.

"What does a man have to do to get a kiss around here anyhow?"

She smirked and leaned up to kiss him. He met her halfway and then she put her head in the crook of his neck. She let the beating of his heart and the steady tempo of his breathing be her lullaby as she slipped into a deep sleep.

He smiled and held his girls a bit tighter. Sitting on the bridge of his ship with the two girls he loved more than anything in the 'verse made him wonder if there could be anything better than this. After much thought he conjured that in that moment, no there really couldn't be. It was just mathematically impossible.

_Disclaimer: Lyrics belong to Tim McGraw. _


	2. Daddy's Princess

_**Daddy's princess**_

"No really. Go," Mal argued.

"But I-"

"Sweetheart, you've been on this boat since you were on bed rest. Go, experience life. Kaylee and Zoe, make her have a good time."

River opened her mouth to protest, but Kaylee took one arm and Zoe took the other.

"Honey, he's right. We'll have a shiny time! Leave the kids with the fellas. They can't screw up too bad!" Kaylee said cheerfully optimistic.

"Except Jayne," Zoe added loud enough to where Jayne would hear.

"Ha-ha," he grumbled while shoving the rest of his snack into his mouth.

"Alright, I'll go…"

Mal smiled. For once, he won the argument.

"Just this once, baby…" she laughed.

Simon, Ricky, Mal, and Belle walked the girls out of the ship.

"This place has _great_ mud baths…" Kaylee beamed.

"Mud baths…?" Simon smirked with a suggestive twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, mud baths. Don't get into too much trouble while we's gone."

She kissed Simon and then gave Ricky a quick hug.

"I'll miss you!" Ricky exclaimed.

"I'll miss you too, sweetie."

River kissed Mal and then Belle on the forehead.

"Be a good girl for Daddy."

"She can't be anything else," Mal sighed with a slight smile tugging on his mouth.

River smiled and kissed him once more before going with Kaylee down the ramp. Jayne had just arrived in the cargo bay.

"Bye Ricky, bye Belle…" Zoe said tenderly. She looked up and saw Jayne. "Stay away from the big bad mercenary."

"Well you got the title right," Jayne leered.

"Doubt it."

Mal shook his head and walked away with Simon and Ricky.

"Well doubt don't make it any less true," they heard Jayne say as they walked towards the passenger dorms.

"Zoe!" Kaylee's faint voice called.

"See you later," Zoe said.

"Yeah."

Jayne came in a few minutes later.

"Jayne, a little less talk like that in front of Ricky and Belle…" Mal warned.

"Aw come on Mal! We was just playin'."

"That didn't look like playing," Ricky commented.

Simon laughed. "A different kind of playing."

"Can we play?" Ricky asked.

"Sure. What do you want to play?" Simon asked.

He thought for a moment. "Body!" He was referring to the special doll that came apart into the different bones and organs.

"Okay. Let's go play."

They went to Ricky's room. Jayne went to the kitchen to clean his guns. Mal took Belle to their bunk.

"Looks like it's just me and you."

It was time for one of her feedings. River left a few bottles for them while she was off bathing in mud…he stopped that train of thought right there just in case his daughter had her mother's mind reading gift. He gently held her while sitting on his bed and leaning up against the bulkhead.

She was something else. Breathtaking, just like her mother. He gazed down at her little hands and fingers still completely amazed at how tiny they were. He saw a bit of River in her. Her cute little nose and her lips mostly.

"You know, I think your Uncle Simon was right. He said to me once that he'd never felt so much love after bein' a daddy. It's true, princess. Your daddy loves you very much. Always will. I'll be that father sittin' at home cleanin' his gun whilst you bring 'round your boyfriend. No one is ever gonna be good enough for you. Not ever, not no one."

She gurgled with what looked like a smile. He smiled at her and kissed her on the top of the head. She started to get a bit fussy, so he did the one thing that always seemed to calm her down. He started to sing.

"Go on, take this whole world. But to me you'll always be…my little girl."

She calmed right down. "You'll always be my little girl…" he sighed.

Later that day, River returned home to discover Mal and Belle in their bunk sound asleep on the bed. Belle was draped across his chest and his arm was around her. They were both breathing deeply with faint smiles on their faces. She grinned and pulled a blanket up over them.

After kissing Mal on the forehead and Belle on the cheek, she whispered, "I love you two" before leaving their bunk to give them some more father/daughter time. After all, she was Daddy's princess…


	3. Mommy's Angel

_**Mommy's Angel**_

"I'll be back soon," Mal smiled down at Belle and then planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. He passed her to River.

"Be careful," River sighed.

"I will. Don't worry 'bout a thing."

He kissed her lightly and then climbed into the mule.

"Zoe, bring him back in one piece," River sighed.

"Will do."

They took off down the road into town. Simon and Kaylee took Ricky planet-side for the day, so River and Belle had the ship to themselves.

River went up to the bridge to relax. Belle sat in her lap looking around at all of the buttons and switches. River laughed at her daughter's thoughts. She loved being able to read her. It was a connection that no one else could share with her except for Mal. Granted he couldn't read her mind, but he really understood her just as well as he understood River.

"What do you want to do today?" River asked.

Belle continued to look around with her simple thoughts running through her mind.

"You want to play with something sparkly?" River giggled, picking up on the unusual thought. "Well, I don't know if we have anything sparkly that's safe for you to play with just yet."

Belle reached out and grabbed the necklace River had on. It was the same one she got on her first anniversary.

"Do you like it? Daddy got it for me."

She knew the words "Daddy" and "Mommy" and who they were. It was amazing at how advanced she was. Most babies didn't put sounds with objects until a lot later. She tugged on the necklace with a laugh.

"That's right. Daddy."

Belle adored him. She looked a lot like him too. She had his blue eyes, his smile, and the little dimple in her chin.

"He'll be back soon. We love him, don't we?"

She laughed as River kissed her cheek repetitively. She reached out and grabbed River's hair. River smiled and gently untangled her small fingers.

"You're quite the character. You're your parents' daughter alright, and we love you very much. You're Mommy's angel. Don't worry. I'll be there to keep Daddy in check. He's going to want to shoot any boy that gets within six feet of you. I'll make sure he doesn't scare away everyone that likes you, and there will be a lot I know. You're beautiful. Every boy will fall just as in love with you as we are. But if a boy ever hurts you I will go after him."

Belle smiled and started playing with the necklace again.

"Darlin'…" Mal's voice crackled through the comm.

Belle looked around for Mal with a grin so much like his it was incredible.

"We're comin' back. Things went pear-shaped. Could you lower the ramp?"

"Sure can. And your daughter is looking for you."

"Is she? Hey there, princess. I'll be home soon."

Belle laughed, recognizing his nickname for her. She reached up for River. River picked her up and went down to the cargo bay. She opened the ramp. A few minutes later, the mule came flying in.

"Zo, you good?" Mal asked worriedly.

"I will be, Sir."

"Jayne, take her to the infirmary and patch her up."

Jayne went to lift Zoe into his arms.

"I can walk," she snapped.

"Okay, jus' tryin' to help."

Zoe shakily got out of the mule with a bit of support from Mal before hopping down the hall with some help from Jayne. She had a nasty gash on her leg.

"What happened?" River inquired.

"Ah, nothin' much. Thievin' is getting harder these days."

Belle reached out for him. He grinned and took her carefully.

"How was time with Mommy?"

She kicked with a smile.

"Good huh?" he smirked and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Were you good while I was gone?" Mal asked.

"Of course she was. She's Mommy's angel."

"And you're my angel."

"Flirty pushover of a husband," River laughed with an eye roll.

"Do flirty pushovers get kisses?"

"You know they do."

She gave him a soft lingering kiss before they went up the steps together.


	4. Uncle Simon's Nightmare

_**Uncle Simon's nightmare**_

"If she gets fussy, she likes to be sung to. And don't forget about the nap. She gets really difficult without it," Mal said for about the tenth time.

"I know, you've told me. I have it under control. If you haven't noticed, I'm a father too. This isn't a new thing for me," Simon said, suppressing a grin. He was the same way the first time they left Ricky.

"Now the bottles are on the counter," River began.

"I know, mei mei. It's okay. I think I'll be fine."

"Thanks again, Doc. We owe you one…" Mal shook his hand and then turned to River.

"Be good for Uncle Simon. We love you," she kissed her on the top of the head and then handed her to Mal.

"See you soon, princess. Daddy loves you."

He gave her a kiss and then carefully let Simon take her. They waved and left, already missing their little girl.

"Well Belle, you and I get some bonding time. Aunt Kaylee and Ricky are in town getting parts, Jayne and Zoe are out, and your parents are celebrating their second anniversary. It's just me and you."

He went down to the infirmary to do some much needed organizing. Ever since Jayne had to patch up Zoe, all of his things were misplaced and tossed about. Simon set her down in a seat he bought for Ricky so he could watch him work. After adjusting it to her size, he got to work.

_-Clink-_

He turned around and Belle had tossed one of his surgical instruments on the ground. He sighed and picked it up. Less than a minute later…

_-Clink-_

She had dropped it again. Their "game" continued for ten minutes. Finally, he moved it away from her. She let out a shriek to get his attention.

"What is it?"

She reached out for him.

"One second. I have to organize a little bit."

She shrieked again and kept it up until he gave her his attention. She reached out again and started to cry. He sighed, defeated, and picked her up.

"You're hungry, aren't you?"

She cried while tugging on his hair.

"Okay, we'll go get you some formula."

He went up to the kitchen and sat her down on the highchair. After making sure she was in securely, he got her the bottle. He turned his back for one second to see how many bottles River left. When he turned back around, she had gotten the top off and poured the milk everywhere.

"Belle, you don't pour your milk out. Milk is for drinking, not for playing."

She laughed. He shook his head and got a cloth to wipe up the mess. He was working on the puddle on the floor when he felt the bottle hit him in the back. He picked it up and looked at Belle.

"You don't throw things either. Especially at people. It wasn't nice to hit Uncle Simon."

She threw the top at him.

"That isn't funny."

She laughed.

"Your parents have done this. I hate to say it, but you're spoiled."

She laughed again like she knew what he had just said. He figured that she probably did.

Their day together continued. She threw anything he gave her at him or down and she kept crying, screaming, or babbling without stopping. Naptime was the worst.

"Ting jian!" Simon said irately at his niece while he tried to put her down for her nap. _(Ting jian meaning "Listen child")_

She squirmed in his arms when he started to lower her into her crib. She clung to his vest crying.

"Belle, you have to go down for your nap. Daddy says so," he hoped that she knew Mal by name and would listen. She did know who Daddy was, so she cried harder because she missed him and Mommy.

"Sh, sh, sh, shhh! Time to go to sleep!" he finally got her into the crib although her crying continued.

"Right, singing. She likes singing…" Simon muttered. "Go to sleep, go to sleep. Chuyu xiang mengmei, chuyu xiang mengmei…"

She quieted down, but it was only because he was so off key. She looked at him like "_What was that_?" and then started to wiggle around.

After another twenty minutes of off and on crying, wiggling, and resistance, Simon relented and picked her back up. He sat down on a chair with her. He sighed. Ricky could be difficult, but not like that. She obviously got that from Mal. River was talkative and busy as a child, but not one to misbehave. Sure she was stubborn and determined. That was different than flat out defiance and acting up. With Mal's rebellious and troublesome nature and River's stubbornness and tenacity, Belle was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

"You're giving Uncle Simon a hard time."

She smiled at him and grabbed his nose. Her little hand explored his face. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him, or at least that's what it felt like. He smiled. The little nightmare won him over.

"You're lucky you're cute, mengmo…" Simon laughed. (_Mengmo meaning nightmare)_

Mal and River returned later that night. They both ran to Belle and hugged her.

"How was she?" Mal asked.

"A nightmare. She threw things at me! Oh, she didn't go down for her nap either. I tried singing-"

"You're tone deaf. I'm sorry that you had to go through that, angel!" River giggled.

"Were you bad for Uncle Simon?" Mal asked.

She laughed.

"She's your daughter for sure, Mal. She aims to misbehave."

Mal laughed. "We're gonna have ourselves a problem."


	5. Aunt Kaylee's Shiny Girl

_**Aunt Kaylee's shiny girl**_

Kaylee was sitting at the table with Ricky and Belle. Ricky was drawing and Belle was just sitting there playing with chopsticks.

"I don't see what Daddy talks 'bout," she commented while observing her niece.

"What does Daddy say?" Ricky asked.

"He says Belle is a handful."

"What's that?"

"She's difficult."

"Oh."

"She's just the shiniest little girl! Ain't she pretty?"

Ricky looked at her and moved his head to the side like he'd get a better view from there.

"I concur."

Kaylee laughed. "Where'd you learn that fancy word?"

"Daddy."

"That's a good word."

"It is. It means to agree."

"Ain't you just the brightest boy?"

He smiled.

Kaylee pulled Belle into her lap. Belle sat there and looked up at her aunt sweetly with big blue eyes that looked just like Mal's. She had his smile too.

"You look just like your daddy."

Belle smiled at the mention of him. She seemed to understand so much more than Ricky did at her age.

"She's pretty for sure. She looks a lot like Uncle Mal, don't she?"

"I don't know."

"Just take a look at her. She's got those blue eyes, that smile, look at the cute little dimple in her chin!"

"Dimple?" Ricky asked while studying Belle like Kaylee looked at the engine or Simon looked at a patient.

"It's like a little pit in someone's face. People get 'em in their cheeks and in their chins. Uncle Mal has one in his chin like Belle does!"

"Oh."

"Belle's my shiny girl. She's so sweet! I just wanna cuddle with her and pinch those adorable little cheeks!"

Simon entered with a big smile.

"Daddy!"

"Hi Ricky."

Ricky flew into his arms. He picked him up and sat down.

"I don't see what you're talkin' 'bout Simon! Belle is easy peasy to take care of!"

"Not for me."

Kaylee looked closely at her husband.

"What's got you smilin' like that?"

"I ran your blood work to see if you caught anything on the last planet we were on since you said you weren't feeling well. I learned something else…"

"What is it?" she asked.

"You're pregnant."

Kaylee squealed happily.

"Mommy is going to have another baby?" Ricky asked.

Simon nodded.

"Did you hear that Belle? You're gonna have another cousin to play with!" Kaylee cried.

"You're going to be a big brother," Simon said with a smile.

"I get to be the oldest?" he asked.

"That's right," Simon nodded.

"Shiny," he grinned.

"Isn't it? What do you think, Belle?"

Belle laughed.

"That's my shiny girl…" Kaylee beamed.


	6. Cousins

_**Cousins**_

River was sitting on the couch with Belle in her lap working on some research for a possible job.

"Don't just hover over there," she said without looking up.

Ricky appeared from behind a chair. He looked curiously at them.

"I didn't want to interrupt," he stated matter-of-factly, sounding a lot like Simon.

"You aren't. Come on over."

He scaled the couch cushions and plopped down beside them. He gazed at Belle. She was playing with River's necklace with wide enamored eyes.

"Auntie River."

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Work."

"What kind of work?"

"Research for Uncle Mal."

"What kind of research?"

"Job research."

"Will you go on the job?"

"No. I'm going to wait until Belle's a little bit older before I go back to working with Uncle Mal, Zoe, and Jayne."

"Mr. Jayne always comes back hurt."

River laughed. "Statistically speaking that's true."

"What's sta-statistickally?"

"Mathematically."

"Oh."

River went back to working. Ricky watched Belle some more. She was still playing with the necklace.

"How come Belle's playing with that?"

"It's sparkly."

"Auntie River."

"Yes Ricky?"

"She's my cousin. Right?"

"Right."

"What's a cousin?"

"A cousin is the son or daughter of your aunt or uncle. Your daddy is my brother, so that makes me your aunt and Belle your cousin."

"Oh. Is Belle my only cousin?"

"No. Your mommy has lots of brothers and sisters. They have kids."

"You mean I have more uncles and aunties?"

"You do."

"Why aren't they here?"

"They live on your mommy's home planet."

"Do I have a home planet?"

"No. Serenity is your home."

"It will be my little brother or sister's home too, right?"

"It will."

There was a pause.

"Auntie River."

"Yes?"

"Can I hold Belle?"

River smiled and carefully let Ricky hold her.

"That's right. Don't drop her and don't squeeze too hard," she warned.

"I won't. Hi Belle. I'm Ricky. We're cousins."

Belle looked up at him with wide eyes. She broke out into a Mal-like grin and started to grab his hair.

"She likes me."

"She does," River nodded.

"I like her."

"Good."

"My daddy says she's a handful, but my mommy thinks she's shiny."

River laughed. "I've heard."

"Auntie River."

"Yes?"

"I think she's shiny too."

"I'm glad."

"Is okay if I tell her I love her?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know. Love is confusing."

"Why?"

"Because. Daddy and Mommy say that they love me. You and Uncle Mal say you love me. I say I love you back, but it's not just said to us. Daddy says it to Mommy a lot and you say it to Uncle Mal all the time. And then you say I love you to Daddy and Mommy. Who can you say it to?"

"You can say it to anyone that you love. It's okay."

"There's no rules?"

"No rules."

"Oh. So I guess I love you, Belle."

She giggled and tugged on his shirt.

"Auntie River."

"Yes Ricky?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Ricky."

"And I love Uncle Mal."

"He loves you too."

"And I love Mommy and Daddy. I even love Mrs. Zoe."

"What about Mr. Jayne?"

Ricky thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know. Daddy calls him a trained ape."

River laughed. Belle joined in.

"True. But what do you think about him?"

"He's big…kind of scary…sometimes mean…smells funny…but I guess he's okay. He can be nice. He let me watch him clean his guns."

He was always finding the good in people just like his mother.

"But I love you more," Ricky decided with a smile. "I love you more too, Belle. We're _cousins_. You're going to have another one soon."

River grinned as she watched them interact some more. He was going to be a great brother. He was already a great cousin.


	7. Godmothers and Mercenaries

_**Godmothers and mercenaries**_

Zoe was relaxing at the table with a nice cup of coffee and her gun. There was nothing like a good gun cleaning to dull the nerves in her book.

She hated having nothing to do. It was the worst. Just sitting there…waiting…no purpose…wasting time…she hated it. Their contact wouldn't land for another night, which meant taking the night off. She didn't like the idleness that accompanied time off. Now if it was a vacation that was different. This was just waiting. The place was too gorram quiet too. Simon and Kaylee took Ricky out for a walk and some real food. She loved the noise a kid brought to the ship. Without him, it was empty. Sure there was Belle, but she was quieter than Ricky was unless she was crying. It would be great to have another baby, although she didn't know how much more work they could take. They had no children aboard and now they were about to have three.

"Zoe!" River called as she came floating in the room gracefully with Belle in one arm and Mal bounding in behind her being dragged by her free hand.

"Yes?" Zoe asked.

"Could you watch Belle for awhile?" River asked.

"Sure."

River smiled and put Belle in the highchair. "Thank you Zoe! We owe you. Be good for Zoe. She's your godmother."

Before Mal could thank Zoe, River was kissing him and pushing him towards their bunk.

"Woman! We…aren't…even…in…our…bunk…yet!" Mal cried in between kisses.

"You're going too slowly!"

River leapt up with her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around him as they clumsily staggered to the hatch to their bunk. Zoe shook her head and held her hand up in front of Belle's eyes as they somehow amazingly got down their ladder. His suspenders were already down before they disappeared from view.

A pang of sadness struck Zoe like it sometimes did. She sighed, remembering Wash fondly. She still found herself occasionally saying things in her head like, _"I miss you, baby" _or _"Gorram, you should of seen this, husband!" _

She smiled as she pictured his reaction to discovering that Mal was married to River and had a daughter. It would have been something like, _"Wo de ma! Mal and RIVER? And parents? Ai ya!" _Then he would have made a joke about Mal being a father or some hysterical reference to YoSafBridge.

"Ya look like yer off someplace," Jayne's gruff voice startled her from her daydream.

"Just thinkin' is all."

"Hey Crazy's squirt," Jayne said roughly to Belle before grabbing the back of the chair across from Zoe and sitting down. Crazy's squirt was her nickname since he already called Ricky squirt.

"So, why are ya watchin' her?"

"Mal and River are in their bunk…" Zoe explained.

"Oh so you're watchin' her while they're off se-"

"Jayne! There's a baby in the room!"

"So? She'll find out eventually!"

"She's not even one yet!"

"So?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and sat Belle in her lap. She reached up and pulled on the leather string around her neck.

"She likes you," Jayne commented.

"She likes everyone…except you."

"Hey! I bet that ain't true!"

"Wanna make it interestin'?"

"What do ya got in mind?"

"If I'm right and she don't like you, you have to take over garbage duty for a month."

"Okay, okay. If'n she do like me, you have to hit the bars with me one night and have a drinkin' contest."

"I don't think the captain would much like us showin' up drunk again after the last few times."

"I thought you don't get drunk."

"Fine. You're on."

"How's we gonna tell? We can't just ask."

"You're gonna hold her."

"Mal ain't gonna be happy with you handin' his daughter to me."

"Just 'cause he don't trust you with her don't mean that I don't too. 'Sides it's just for a second or two."

"'Kay, but if I hold her wrong it ain't my fault. It's yers."

"You won't. Just make sure not to drop her or hold her too tight."

She walked around the table and cautiously let him take Belle. He held her out in front of him. They stared each other down. Belle looked over at Zoe and reached for her right before she started to cry. Zoe smiled triumphantly and took Belle back. Once in Zoe's arms, she stopped crying instantly and clung to her shirt with a smile.

"That don't prove anything!" Jayne argued.

"Hey, you saw what happened."

"So?"

"So? The child reached for me and started cryin' when you were holdin' her and stopped the instant she was back with me!"

"Maybe she just likes you better, not necessarily…not…likin' me."

"Wow. You're great with words."

"I know."

Zoe sighed. "That was sarcasm, Jayne."

"I knew that."

"Sure you did."

Jayne nodded.

"That was sarcasm too."

"I knew that too."

Zoe rolled her eyes and started to play with Belle.

"Just 'cause she wanted you don't mean anything. That don't prove nothin'."

"We'll ask River. She'll know."

"Crazy?" Jayne snorted.

"She's a reader _and_ Belle's mama. She'll know how Belle feels about you."

"Ya got a point. Okay. Crazy will be the decidin' vote. 'Till then, wanna play cards?"

They played cards while Belle played with a pair of chopsticks. River emerged a bit later.

"River," Zoe said while she flew past her to grab something from the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"Does Belle like Jayne?"

"Not at all. He scares her. Mommy will be back soon."

River kissed Belle and then returned to her bunk with a bowl of fruit. Zoe didn't want to think too much on that. So, she turned to Jayne with a smile.

"Gorramit!"

"Jayne, _language._"

"What 'bout it?"

Zoe shook her head, still surprised at how dumb he could be.

"I'll do the garbage, but…" he paused and looked at her with a faint smile. "Are you still up for that drinkin' contest?"

"You know I am."

They smiled and went back to playing cards. Belle grabbed one and started to chew on it.

"Do you want to play?" Zoe asked. She laughed. "Okay Jayne, deal her in."

Jayne raised his eye brows, but dealt in Crazy's squirt. The sad part was that Belle actually won the first hand.

"I must be the best godmother in the 'verse. I'm exposin' her to gamblin' nice and early."

Jayne laughed. "Sarcasm, right?"

"Yes. You actually got it right."

"That ain't sarcasm is it?"

"No, Jayne. Now deal us in. We've got gamblin' to do."

They kept playing. Somehow it was relaxing. She couldn't help thinking that Wash would have loved to see their family grow so big. He loved the boat as much as Mal did and he would have seen that it was a great place for family. Maybe they would have tossed a few babies into the mix. But that was only a maybe. He was gone. It still hurt like hell yet it was five years later. She was feeling better though. She found a friend in the most unusual place. He was a crass mercenary named Jayne Cobb.

She guessed that he was a reminder that life moves on. They were never close before, but with all the couplings and kids they were left alone. If Wash hadn't…Mal and River never would have fallen in love, Belle wouldn't have been sitting on her lap, and she wouldn't be laughing and looking forward to a night out with Jayne. _Life has a funny way of workin' out_, she figured.

**The end**

_I hope you liked it! It was really fluffy, but I had fun with it. _


End file.
